Range is this. Formation of an assortment of goods that ensures satisfaction of customer demand. They note a wide range of goods in

Assortment of goods - a set of their types, varieties and varieties, combined or combined according to a certain sign. The main grouping characteristics of goods are raw materials, production and consumer goods. There are production and trade assortment goods.

The production range is the range of goods produced by industrial and agricultural enterprises, as well as other manufacturers. As a rule, enterprises producing goods produce a narrow range of goods, which allows them to introduce advanced production technology, improve the range of goods produced, and improve their quality. Therefore, the goods they produce require further sorting, taking into account the requirements of trade, on whose enterprises they are concentrated wide range products, which are a combination of products produced by a wide variety of manufacturers. Such sub-sorting, or transformation of the assortment, is carried out mainly at enterprises wholesale trade, through which the bulk of complex assortment goods pass. Some food and non-food items food products is sorted directly in stores and other retail establishments.

The trade assortment is a range of goods to be sold at retail trading network. It includes a range of goods produced by many enterprises and is divided into two product sectors: food and non-food products. Each industry is divided into product groups, which include goods that are combined according to a number of characteristics (uniformity of raw materials, consumer purpose, degree of complexity of the assortment).

Product range is a certain set of various goods included in trade.

In stores, a relatively narrow product range is transformed into a wide trade range, which includes goods from various specialized production enterprises. The release of products in a market economy, from a marketing point of view, should be aimed at satisfying the diverse needs of the population, taking into account local, national and climatic conditions, therefore, primary attention in stores should be paid to the formation product range, as a process of establishing a range of goods that develops over time that would satisfy the product structure of the population’s demand.

Assortment policy is the art of making decisions on an individual product unit, product group and the entire assortment as a whole in order to achieve the company's goals.

Main goals of assortment policy:

• · Increasing sales by optimizing the assortment structure;
• · Increased inventory turnover;
• · Achievement competitive advantage due to a more attractive assortment;
• · Entering new markets;
• · Reducing costs associated with maintaining the assortment;
• · Formation of the company's image by positioning assortment product units.

Customer needs are changing rapidly, so the company is forced to constantly update its product range, and this requires additional resources.

Fierce competition leads to the fact that those introduced to the market new product does not have time to recoup investments in its production and promotion.

Enterprises do not have an assortment management system in place due to the difficulty of forecasting changes in consumer demand and the lack of assortment optimization techniques.

Rice. 1

An assortment item represents a specific unit of goods - model, brand or size.

The product range consists of:

• · Product groups;
• · Product categories;
• · Product lines;
• · Product units.

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A product group is a set of goods and their types, grouped according to a certain combination, the most important of which is the similar purpose of the goods.

Product line (line) - a set of goods intended for the same customers or sold through the same sales channels or having the same price range.

The product range (nomenclature) is characterized by:

• · Length (saturation), showing the total number of product units sold by the company;
• · Width equal to the number of product groups that make up the assortment;
• · Depth, showing the number of options for each type of product.

Classification of product range types

By degree of importance for the enterprise:

The main assortment includes products that are in high demand. Selling, first of all, precisely these goods, which bring the greatest profit, is the goal of the enterprise. It is necessary to ensure the constant presence of the main assortment in the warehouse.

Additional assortment - includes products that complete the main assortment. These are complementary products, impulse purchases, and special occasion items that are not available in other retail outlets.

For example, consumables when selling office equipment; lamps, curtains, carpets in a furniture store.

Additional assortment may not always be present in the warehouse, and may vary by name, i.e. belongs to the category of variable assortment.

Depending on the number of product groups in the assortment:

Wide assortment - consists of many product groups, each of which presents large number goods. The widest range is presented in hypermarkets (more than 100,000 items), supermarkets (up to 100,000 items), trading houses, and large wholesale companies.

Advantages of a wide range:

• · attracts various categories of buyers and increases their number;
• · the number of unplanned purchases increases;
• · allows you to more effectively manage profits by varying trade margins.
• · Disadvantages of a wide range:
• · additional equipment space is required;
• · overall inventory turnover slows down;
• · the complexity of accounting increases;
• · it is difficult to maintain the stability of the assortment.

Narrow assortment - consists of a small number of products from several product groups (3 - 5).

Advantages of a narrow range:

• · it is easier to maintain the stability of the assortment;
• · You can concentrate on meeting the specific needs of customers;
• · easier to carry out accounting and management

Disadvantages of a narrow range:

• · there is a high risk of not receiving the required profit if the demand for these product groups decreases;
• · Buyers may prefer sellers with a broad or specialized range.

Specialized assortment - consists of 1 - 2 product groups. The specialized assortment attracts those customers who want a wide selection of goods and receive qualified service and advice.

The advantage of a specialized assortment is the depth of the assortment, which provides a wide choice for the buyer.

Example. The company "ALSEL SPB" works in the field of completing equipment for heating, water supply and sewerage systems, has more than 3,000 items of products in a warehouse in St. Petersburg and more than 20,000 items in a central warehouse in Sweden. The company operates according to the European principle, when the warehouse and office are located in one place. Prices are higher than those of other sellers, but due to the wide range, significant savings are made on transportation, processing and delivery speed.

Depending on the number of similar products

Deep assortment - there are many options for similar or similar products (for example, different packaging of toothpaste, gels, elixirs). Advantages of a deep assortment:

• · a large selection ensures that the buyer is unlikely to leave without purchasing;
• · customer loyalty is developed.

Disadvantages of a deep assortment:

• · too much variety of the same product irritates the buyer;
• · sellers themselves are poorly versed in the differences between products;
• · the effect of “cannibalism” appears

Flat assortment - a small number of product varieties are presented. You should carefully select products, focusing only on the most popular ones.

Depending on the degree of product differentiation:

Simple assortment - consists of simple undifferentiated goods (rolled metal, vegetables, sugar, cereals, etc.)

Complex assortment - consists of basic, complementary, interchangeable goods or goods that, within one type, have their own internal classification according to various criteria (footwear: styles, sizes, colors, decorations, etc.)

Mixed assortment - it presents completely different product groups: food, household chemicals, personal hygiene products, newspapers, etc.).

Products collected in a group, which is formed in accordance with their similarity in one or more characteristics, are called “assortment”.

Types of assortment

The generally accepted division of assortments according to who created them includes product and industrial groups.

Industrial becomes the result of activity manufacturing enterprise or several companies operating within the same industry. This type of assortment is sold by the company itself, and on its basis, individual wholesale and retail trade organizations form their own assortment.

Types of assortment are studied and used in their activities by marketers, since their tasks include organizing procurement and promotion of the product.

The product range is usually called the one presented in wholesale and retail stores. That is, these are goods that are sold in one place, produced by several manufacturers and have different purposes. There are situations when it is presented with the products of one manufacturer, for example in branded stores.

The main types of assortment, their volume and structure are directly influenced by factors such as consumer demand, its dynamics and trends.

Products of different origins offered on the market to satisfy the same need are called consumer product lines. These products may differ in certain parameters or in price.

What is breadth of product coverage?

This term characterizes how fully the formed types meet the expectations and needs of clients. Based on how the breadth of product coverage can be characterized, assortments are distinguished:

• simple;
• complex;
• group;
• expanded;
• accompanying;
• mixed.

All these types of assortment, their distinctive features and specifics are described in more detail below.

Characteristics of assortment subgroups

If a product presented by a manufacturer or trader can be classified according to minimum quantity signs (by three), it is called simple. This definition is recorded in GOST. Many stores that prefer to sell everyday goods rely on such an assortment. The types of assortment also depend on the income level of customers.

Sellers who form this type of assortment count on buyers with low incomes and locate their enterprises in their places of residence. An example would be a village store selling bread.

In the case when classification can be carried out according to a larger number of characteristics, they speak of a complex assortment. Different types large retail trade organizations(department stores, hypermarkets), as well as wholesale stores create an assortment of this type.

Variety of assortment

An enlarged assortment represents products united in some way common feature or a set of characteristics. These are often features related to functionality or social purpose. Based on the enlarged assortment, they form organizational structure enterprises.

When the assortment of goods includes a large number of their varieties, it is called expanded. These types of product assortment take place in Here the seller offers various brands, subgroups and types of goods, their varieties and names. A feature of the expanded assortment is the relatively small number of groups into which homogeneous products are combined.

Features of accompanying and mixed assortment

Related products are products whose functions are classified as auxiliary, that is, their sale is not the main source of income for the organization. An example of this type of organization trading activities- availability of soap and other household goods at the grocery store.

The mixed type assortment is distinguished by a very wide variety of products with different functional purposes. This approach is used by stores offering both food and non-food products.

Other types of assortment

A more detailed classification identifies several more categories into which the assortment is divided. The types of assortment, based on how fully they satisfy the needs, look like this:

• Rational - within its framework, products are offered that are designed to adequately satisfy consumers, which contributes to the achievement of the company's goals.
• Optimal - for its formation, goods are needed that will not only meet consumer needs, but will also be useful for them. The specificity of this type of assortment is that the costs of design, production and sales of its products are reduced to a minimum. Products belonging to the optimal range are extremely competitive.

Depending on what needs the range is intended to satisfy, it is called:

• real;
• predictable.

The first is characterized by the fact that the necessary goods are available from the manufacturer or trade organization.

The second is a list of products that can satisfy needs that have not yet arisen (anticipated).

Assortment and novelty of goods

The well-being of any enterprise depends on the extent to which its product meets the interests of the consumer. Demand is influenced by a number of factors, including socio-economic, demographic, trade and organizational, national, as well as random market influences.

1. Brand new.
2. Improved.
3. Modified.
4. A product of market novelty.

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of “modernized” and “modified” goods. Updating a product is considered a modernization, and changing its properties or replacing them is already a modification. In addition, the situation in which a new product is released, but an obsolete product continues to be produced, is considered as differentiation.

Assortment- a large collection of goods united by a common characteristic (raw materials, purpose, manufacturer, etc.), within which smaller aggregates are distinguished that differ in other characteristics. Thus, the assortment is a system of individual elements, combined into groups according to one particular characteristic. There are certain connections between the groups. Relationships between two elements are usually identified through some classification system.

There are industrial and commercial, simple and complex, enlarged and expanded, combined and mixed assortments of goods.

Industrial range represents a set of goods produced by an industry, an enterprise or other manufacturers (enterprises catering, private entrepreneurs, custom tailoring studios, etc.). As a rule, enterprises produce a small number of items of goods, which allows them to improve the manufacturing technology of these goods, improve their quality, improving consumer properties, i.e., enterprises produce a small range of goods that do not differ in the variety of types and varieties.

Trade assortment represents a set of goods sold in a retail chain. A trading network is a collection of all trading enterprises(wholesale and retail) engaged in the sale of goods.

The trade assortment includes a set of goods produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers. It is more diverse than industrial.

The trade assortment can be considered in relation to one or several retail enterprises, or to the entire distribution network. The assortment of a trading enterprise is represented by the range of goods that the enterprise sells.

The assortment of a trade enterprise determines its type (department store, supermarket, grocery store, etc.). In stores of the same type, but different retail space, the assortment differs in the number of groups and types of goods. In this case, trading enterprises are divided into universal and specialized, stores with a combined and mixed assortment.

The range of goods presented at a trading enterprise determines the form of trading services.

If the assortment is represented by such types of goods that are classified according to no more than three criteria, then such an assortment is called a simple assortment of goods (vegetables, table salt, laundry soap etc.).

Types of goods that are classified into varieties according to more than three criteria, together make up a complex assortment of goods (shoes, clothing, etc.).

The division of the assortment into enlarged and expanded is based on a scientifically based system of classifying goods into classes, groups, types and varieties.

For example, when studying the assortment of clothing, first all household clothing is classified into groups (outerwear, light dresses, linen items, hats), then into subgroups (for example, in the group of outerwear - coats and suits).

Subgroups are divided into types of products according to the following criteria: type name, gender, age, season of wear, upper material, intended purpose.

According to the style and complexity of processing, the species are divided into varieties. The style is characterized by style, silhouette and cut.

The assessment of an enlarged assortment comes down to establishing the quantitative relationship between individual groups of products and the characteristics of these groups.

A group of goods should be combined according to a number of characteristics: purpose, design features, etc. Thus, clothing is divided into groups according to purpose, and into subgroups according to model and design features.

The expanded assortment is studied according to the types of products presented. Signs of dividing types of clothing into varieties are the style and complexity of processing.

Combined assortment is a set of several groups of goods that are connected by a common demand and satisfy individual needs. For example, the Men's Clothing store sells a combined assortment.

Mixed assortment is a collection of non-food and food products of various groups. The mixed assortment is represented, as a rule, by the largest number of groups and types of goods.

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Assortment width - This is the total number of different product categories included in the assortment. For example, a grocery supermarket may have products in categories such as " milk», « meat", « cheese», « fish», « baby food », « dietary food», « salads», « household chemicals», « household goods», « animal feed», « magazines and postcards», « souvenirs and gifts" The wider the range, the more likely it is that the buyer’s needs will be satisfied, and the wider range of buyers we can attract.

On the one hand, the wider the range, the more diverse needs can be satisfied. A wide range allows you to set different trade markups (from minimum to maximum), while maintaining the overall profit of the store. The number is rising impulse purchases, the number of different customer segments is increasing. On the other hand, with an extremely wide range of products, it is difficult for the consumer to navigate such a variety; this makes it difficult to choose the desired product. Managing too wide an assortment is also not easy - this leads to huge logistics costs and, in most cases, to an excess of frozen products. inventory working capital. With a very wide assortment, turnover is lower, accounting policy complicated by the need for frequent inventories.

An example from personal practice. I thought about assortment optimization many years ago, when I was managing a separate division of a large trading holding. While taking stock of inventory, I realized that too much warehouse space was involved, we were holding a lot of excess goods... But it was necessary to increase sales, and expanding the assortment seemed like the shortest way, because many people follow the path of expanding the assortment. But this does not always lead to a direct increase in income and increased competitiveness.

For example, there was a time when our assortment included collections of ceramic wall tiles in seven different colors and sizes 20 x 20, 35? 23, 25? 40, 20 ? 15, 20 ? 30, 30 ? 40, 15 ? 15 and 10? 10 centimeters (plus more mosaic). We wanted to attract more customers in this way. Imagine our surprise when it turned out that with such a variety of products, people are simply not able to make a choice and end up postponing the purchase or taking the most popular sizes and colors. We have reduced the range and left four colors and three popular sizes in each collection. And this range turned out to be more competitive and profitable. Then we did this not only with the ceramic tile group, but with all positions.

Too much choice acts as a lack of choice. Therefore, breadth cannot serve as the only indicator of a correctly selected assortment and the main competitive advantage.

Depth of assortment– the total number of product items within each product category in the assortment. The deeper the category is presented, the more accurately we can guess the needs of our buyer, the more choice we will provide him. If we are dealing with a specialized store, for example, “Computers,” then the buyer rightly believes that the assortment in such a store will not be very wide, but quite deep, that is, there will only be computers, but of a wide variety of brands, models and options. The deeper the assortment, the higher the specialization of the store.

As a rule, a deep assortment is easier to manage, but it attracts a fairly limited number of buyers. But these customers are willing to pay a higher price in anticipation of a special choice; they are more loyal to the store where their most subtle needs are satisfied.

How do you know whether a store should have a wide or deep assortment?

Let's take such a popular category as “cheese”. Imagine that you entered a store where the assortment seems wide to you - there are many products from both grocery and food groups. But among the cheeses you see only two types - “Russian” cheese and processed “Viola” cheese. Can such an assortment be called deep? No, most likely, such a store’s assortment as a whole will seem insufficient to you, despite its breadth. The depth is precisely determined by the presence within the category of such a proposal of types, varieties of goods, by which one can judge the balance of the assortment.

Example 1. If we look into a grocery store and see categories such as meat, milk, wine, cheese, etc., can we conclude that the store has a wide range of products? Most likely not. But if we see other categories of goods in the store - diet food, animal food, magazines, postcards, etc., then such an assortment will be perceived by us as wide.

Exploring the assortment further, we come to the “Cheese” department. And if we see one variety each of hard, soft and melted, can we perceive such an assortment as deep? No, most likely we will conclude that the store does not have a deep enough or poor range of cheeses. But if different types of cheese are presented, including blue cheese, lactose-free, sausage, low-fat, green, etc., then such an assortment will seem deep or complete (Fig. 3.9).

Rice. 3.9

Example 2. When examining the assortment of a cosmetics and perfumery store, we will conclude that the assortment is insufficient if we see only creams, shampoos and body care products. But if the assortment also includes gift sets, jewelry, professional care products, etc., then the assortment will seem wide to us. In this example, the “Hand Creams” category is presented in depth - there are many varieties of cream. If we limited ourselves to only three or four varieties (with aloe, moisturizing and with glycerin), then such a range of creams would not be deep (Fig. 3.10).

The ratio of these two parameters - the width and depth of the assortment - determines the store format. Discounters and supermarkets typically have a policy of maintaining a wide but shallow assortment. For specialized stores, on the contrary, the assortment is not wide, but deep.

Rice. 3.10

Rice. 3.11. Store formats

Small format stores with a small area (stalls, shopping pavilions) do not have the opportunity to sell a wide range of products. And no one expects depth from them.

Hypermarkets, on the contrary, have significant space and can have a deep assortment in many (but not all) categories.

Knowing the format gives us an idea of ​​where and in what direction to develop our assortment - in width or depth. Should we introduce new product categories or deepen existing ones? Where to invest money?

Whatever development strategy we choose, one thing is important: the range must be balanced.

Balanced assortment– this is a combination of the optimal number of categories (width) for the buyer and types of goods within the category (depth). Let us emphasize again - for the buyer. In a large hypermarket, the buyer expects that the assortment will be as wide as possible, but his expectations related to the depth of the assortment are different. No one expects that among such an extensive offer of goods there will be all sorts of exotic types of fruits (papaya, mango, rambutan), less common types of meat (horse meat, rabbit), and atypical clothing sizes (40–42 and 54–56). For these products or sizes, the buyer will have to go to specialty stores– where prices are higher, the range is not so wide, but there is an opportunity to satisfy even the most rare requests.

However, if the assortment is not balanced, that is, does not meet the buyer’s expectations, then such an assortment is felt as incomplete. Therefore, we will draw a parallel between two concepts - completeness and balance.

If the completeness of the assortment does not correspond to the concept of a given store, then customer requests are not fully satisfied - the assortment is perceived either as “too narrow - there is nothing”, or as “impossible to choose - there is so much!”

The category management methodology allows, with a high degree of probability, balance assortment in such a way that it best meets customer expectations. We will talk in detail about balancing the assortment in the section “Balancing the assortment by depth.” There you can also see examples of a balanced assortment.

During one “trip” to the supermarket, the average “normal” consumer purchases goods from 10–12 categories. The average consumer is not inclined to spend more than 35 minutes on one visit... We subtract the time for passing through trading floor(5-7 minutes), time spent at the checkout (5-7 minutes), and minutes spent looking at items that will not be purchased. There are no more than 15–18 minutes left, or one and a half minutes for each category. How many options will be considered during this time? 5–6 – no more. And that’s because 3–4 of them are recognizable brands, which take 6–7 seconds to identify. One or two “new items” (that is, new offers not previously considered by this consumer) will receive 20–30 seconds of consumer attention.